


Souls at Sea

by WhatTheVio



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-03-24 06:13:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13805127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatTheVio/pseuds/WhatTheVio
Summary: Shuichi Saihara's uncle died at sea as the Commodore. After gaining his title, Shuichi plans to take revenge on the pirate that took his very life, Kokichi Ouma.





	1. Simmering Anger.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I haven't written a fanfiction in nearly 6 years, and I'm just picking it up because I had this idea I wanted to share. I'm also new to AO3, so if anyone has any suggestions or critiques for me, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much, and enjoy!

Shuichi Saihara felt his eyes constantly avert towards the Queen’s daughter as he was preparing to be spoken to. His left hand was tightening even harder onto his right wrist, causing the area to turn red under his grip. The commodore’s nephew couldn’t hold back the anxiety that was beginning to well up inside him as he awaited for the authority figure to start speaking. In his mind, this meeting could only mean something bad for him. But there was no turning back. No avoiding it. 

He felt his chest relax just a little bit when his eyes met with those comforting purple hues of the blonde to the elder woman’s left. Though he’d never spoken to her personally before, there was something about her that he hadn’t minded admiring from a far. She was a Princess, and there was nothing wrong with admiring the gentle beauty a Princess held with her. Her comforting aura even allowed him to take a final deep breath, ready to hear anything the Queen had to say.

“Shuichi Saihara.” 

The woman began. The dark haired boy almost choked when he had to make eye contact with the older, slimmer blonde. He didn’t feel nearly as anxious as he did a few moments ago, but that gnawing feeling would never truly leave him.

“Commodore Saiji Saihara had informed his advisors that your skills as his apprentice were beyond exemplary. So much so, that he had written a request in his will.”

The shorter male felt his face sink as she continued speaking. Even the fair features of the political figure’s porcelain face and gentle green eyes couldn’t soothe the aggression welling up within him.

“It is stated here that upon his death, he requests you become the Commodore in replacement of himself. And, though I am not one to normally follow requests such as this, your officers and many of the commodore’s former crewmen do speak highly of you. For that, I will grant the man’s final request without any more hesitation. You will be taking the position of commodore. We will hold a coronation next week. But, I will be meeting with you to speak more at an earlier time.” 

The Queen stood from her seat, this meeting was short, but she said what she needed to.

“As you already know, your duties will be to chase pirates away from our seas. Keep them far from our seas. Is that understood?” 

Her gaze was strong. But Shuichi had to keep a confident face, not allowing his fears to show as much as he knew they could have. Perhaps it seemed fake because the younger female was able to crack a wider smile. It was something he could only see in his peripheral vision, but it was still embarrassing to know that his fears were as clear as day.

“I understand.” He scrambled to respond, having realized he accidentally left a few moments of silence. That certainly didn’t help his state of mind.

 

“Then, we’re finished here. I shall speak with you soon regarding what is to come.” With that said, the beautiful woman and her equally as beautiful daughter began to leave the room. But, Shuichi’s mind was still stuck on something that had been mentioned earlier, something he couldn’t help himself from blurting out the moment the older woman found herself getting closer to the door.

“Who did it?” Try as he may, the male couldn’t stop himself from saying it. After he did, he felt his face flush. The elegant women looked to him as if waiting for him to continue what he was saying before they answered any questions. Thus, he continued. He couldn’t turn back now.

“Who killed him? My uncle, I need to know who did it. If you know. Please.” His voice was slowly trailing off into silence as his confidence began to drop. He figured these were matters that didn’t concern the Queen. But she and his uncle worked closely, he figured maybe she’d have more answers than he did.

 

The female looked upwards for just a moment. He couldn’t tell if she was collecting her bearings, or just trying to find the patience to deal with a boy who’d blurt out to her in this way. When she’d finally found the words, she looked towards Shuichi with a certain gentleness. She bore a sweet smile that he had never seen before. Instantly, the intuitive male could tell that she was simply smiling due to the memory of his late uncle. That smile shifted to a stern look yet again as she began to spew information.

“From what I have heard, his death was caused by the tricksters of the Sea, its captain being named Kokichi Ouma. He has single-handedly become one of the most notorious pirates out there in just a few short years. As commodore, I trust you’ll be able to take him down if he ever comes near our waters.” 

Without a moment to let Shuichi thank the woman or respond, she turned and left, her heels clicking against the marble flooring on her way out. For just a second, he and the younger blonde met eyes. She gave him a bright smile, mouthing something he couldn’t quite read towards him. Still, getting this type of attention from a girl as beautiful as her caused the male’s face to heat up just a bit. When she’d finally exited the room, Shuichi had turned to leave. The anxiety had been replaced with a fire. A fire of rage and sorrow. It was something that could only be considered a need for revenge. Never in his life had he felt such an emotion, but suddenly it burned brighter than ever. As he left, his eyes would do nothing but stare straight as the plans rolled through his mind to catch this ‘Kokichi Ouma’.

 

It was later that day when he finally was able to meet with Kaito Momota. The two of them had spent plenty of time on the sea before during their apprenticeship with Shuichi’s uncle. Kaito was one of the best navigator’s around. His ability to read stars likely stemmed from his love of gazing at them, but that also left him as one of the most relaxed people Shuichi knew. Kaito was also Shuichi’s best friend. Which is why when the thinner male approached him, he was promptly slapped on the back and received an arm slung over his shoulder as the stargazer leaned in excitedly.

“How’d it go? It couldn’t have been too hard for my sidekick to deal with a hearing like that!” His enthusiasm helped Shuichi relax substantially. He did have time to simmer down since he had left the meeting, but he wasn’t truly able to relax until he’d gotten to his friend’s side.

“Actually, you’re looking at the new Commodore.” For once, Shuichi was able to say something proudly, his smile towards the male looking uncharacteristically confident. Though, it only lasted a moment. His expression soon began to sink once the reality of it hit him. “Of course, I’m not so sure I deserve it… I’m only his apprentice, I don’t think I can be anything like my uncle.”

Immediately the taller male grabbed Shuichi by the shoulders, excitement vivid on his face. He simply radiated pride for his friend.

“You were given the position of commodore?! Shuichi, that’s awesome! I’d never expect anything less from my sidekick!” 

Shuichi smiled sheepishly at Kaito. He had been so filled with aggression because of the loss of his uncle, he hadn’t even realized the position he’d been put in and how terrifying that would be. He wasn’t sure he had the confidence to lead all of the men on his uncle's ship, even if he’d been helping with it since he was a child. He knew every nook and cranny that came with it. But, he was really beginning to think he couldn’t do it.

“Hey, let’s celebrate!” Kaito broke him from his moment of self-hatred.

“Celebrate?”

“Yeah! Let’s get some alcohol! You can meet my new friend, too!” 

Shuichi raised a brow. It wasn’t abnormal for Kaito to make new friends here and there. But he had a particular liking for finding people who weren’t very extroverted, and thus they’d only last a short time. He chuckled at the idea, wondering what type of person the navigator had pushed to spend an evening with them.

 

As the night rolled around, the two men sat at a table in a bar. It was fairly quiet, which was rather odd at this time. But Shuichi hadn’t thought anything of it. He just sat with his drink, listening to Kaito chitter away about his day. Still, they had been there for at least a half hour and this aforementioned friend had yet to show up. Shuichi decided to be patient, gently taking the alcohol to his lips as his mind traveled to everything he planned to do as commodore.

Step one was to find that pirate that killed his uncle and take him down. Kokichi Ouma. The name rang in his brain a few more times. It stung his heart. But he tried not to let it consume him too much, he needed to think logically before he went after this pirate.

His first job would be to request that he have a select crew that can go after this pirate. Find him, kill him. And then what? And then he’d go after other pirates. As the head Commodore, it was his job to keep these waters safe. And he’d be sure to leave a crew here to protect that land but-

Kaito hit Shuichi on the arm. This caused a slight sound of pain to escape him, even if the wound didn’t actually hurt. When Shuichi’s hazed eyes finally met with Kaito’s, he was laughing. 

“You were makin’ that face again.” He stated, before mimicking the position. Kaito placed a hand over his face and looked downwards towards the table. Shuichi could feel his face heat up with embarrassment- he knew that expression all too well.

“What were you thinking about?” Kaito continued, looking to Shuichi for an answer. Before Shuichi could open his mouth, though, Kaito interrupted.

“Actually, hold that thought! There she is!” 

Kaito leaped up from his seat, seemingly very excited to see someone. He went over to someone sitting by themselves in a dimly lit corner. They had a green cloak on covering their head, but he could see the long red dress coming down from the sides of it. He could even see the brown hair coming down to try and touch the floor. Immediately, Shuichi knew something wasn’t right. But Kaito had a tendency to be too dense or too distracted by his ideals to notice. Shuichi decided to stay on his guard, but he’d see where this conversation went.

The girl didn’t seem to want any of what Kaito was saying. Which, honestly, was expected. Most people didn’t listen to his ideals or crazy thoughts. But in this instance, the girl seemed to roll her eyes, stand up, and the two walked over to Shuichi and sat down as well.

For a moment, their eyes met through her hood that mostly covered her face. He could just barely see them, but the lighting at the table allowed it. Shuichi looked directly into those crimson orbs that stared with a certain darkness to them. It was nerve-wracking, he had to look away. Shuichi had met a few dangerous people in his life time, but there was something about this girl that was really frightening. Did Kaito not see it? Why was he just letting this girl sit beside them? He looked to the other male, who seemed to be just fine over this whole ordeal. 

“Shuichi, this is Maki! Maki, this is Shuichi!” 

The two just looked at each other. There was a mutual understanding that neither of them particularly liked the situation they were in. To stall himself for some time, Shuichi decided to take a long sip of his drink, hoping this woman would say the first word.

But those words never came. It was up to Shuichi to say something to her, not that he truly wanted to. He had to think of something clever that wouldn’t make this girl angry, but also wouldn’t let the fact that he was completely scared of her show. He thought for a moment, until he finally put his glass down.

“Uh… hello.” Smooth.

“Hi.” She answered bluntly. Her voice was cold, just like her stare. 

“You two have a lot in common!” Kaito chimed in. Immediately Shuichi’s grey eyes met with his purple. Was his friend blind, too? He had so many questions, but Kaito noticed it and just laughed. He decided to answer now that both of their eyes were on him.

“You both have this crazy fascination with taking down pirates!” His eyes turned towards Maki, his hands folding behind his head as he leaned back in his chair.

“Maki here likes to profile them in stuff! It was something like that, right?”

“Yes.” Again, a simple answer. Shuichi wondered how much she actually wanted to be here at the moment.

“And, Shuichi, it’s your dream to chase them down!” Kaito’s words simply caused Shuichi to laugh a bit nervously. He didn’t particularly want to talk about his work with a stranger, not that it was any secret to the public. He just never knew who could have a vendetta against those ruling this kingdom. And Maki was not someone he felt he could trust.

“I bet you two could talk a lot about it! Go ahead, Shuichi! Ask her anything about pirates. She knows a lot!” 

This encounter left Shuichi thinking for a moment. If she truly was this amazing profiler of pirates, perhaps she could be useful for him. He had a general idea of where to start on his voyage for them, but having more information would be imperative to his success. He decided to start off simple, as a test.

“Can you tell me about Captain Miu Iruma?” He asked, keeping his hands tight on his drink. Before Maki could reply, she slipped off her hood, revealing more of her face. It seemed a little bit more gentle but remained just as intimidating without the dark shadow. Shuichi would note this action, wondering what type of significance it had.

“She’s an idiot.” That was blunt. But, Shuichi wouldn’t say anything yet. He figured she had more. “Her crew is made up only of men she thinks are good-looking. They’re basically a group of idiots altogether.” 

This was all information Shuichi had known. Thus far though, he knew more than this pirate profiler. Or, that’s what he thought. Until she kept talking.

“She’s an idiot, but she’s creative. Her ship is the second fastest on the seas because of the way she designs her ships. One of her crew mates isn’t even completely human. Her ship is known as the Sturdy Beauty. It’s almost impossible to penetrate because of the strong exterior she made for it.” The female placed a finger on her chin, thinking over her information even more. “She’s been easily captured at least four times, but her men always break her out. Or she convinces a guard to do it with her looks.” 

For a moment, the future commodore just stared. This was the most advanced information he’d ever received from someone- even when his uncle was alive he couldn’t get so much information at once. Kaito could obviously see the shock on Shuichi’s face and just laughed once again.

“See? She knows everything! I think the three of us together would make a really cool pirate-butt-kicking team!” Shuichi heard a bit of what Kaito was saying, but he kept his contact onto Maki. Again, their eyes met. And that feeling of mistrust remained between the two. Shuichi needed answers before he asked anything more.

“Why are you giving us your information?” The intuitive man asked, leaning forward in his seat a bit. “I don’t think it’s because you see us as friends. What do you want?” 

He didn’t mean to sound harsh, and he didn’t want to put himself in any danger. Kaito had immediately stopped laughing, his expression relaxing a bit more. He was one to do something first and ask questions later, but it seemed even he picked up on how suspicious it was that she would just say all of this.

“If you’re going on a voyage, I want to go to.” She seemed to answer honestly. Kaito must’ve already blabbed to her about his position or something. Shuichi rested his elbows on the wooden table, his eyebrows furrowing towards the girl. She seemed to roll her eyes, before moving her chair even closer.

“Don’t make this difficult. I can fight if you need me to. I just need to be on a ship. I don’t want to get into more details.” 

Shuichi must not have looked as if he was persuaded enough. He had opened his mouth to reject her, but then she kept speaking.

“I can give you information on certain ships and their crew.”

Shuichi paused, contemplating the answer. She didn’t say anything more. She could likely tell he was starting to see her side of things.

“Tell me about the tricksters of the sea.” He requested in a demanding tone.

“Easily.”

“Do you know where to find them?”

“I can tell you if you agree.”

“Fine, then we leave next week.”

With a new aggression to him, Shuichi downed the last of his drink and put the money down for it, standing directly after. For a moment, his eyes met with Kaito. The navigator seemed shocked by the fire in his new captain’s eyes, but the sheer sight of it brought a grin to his face.

“That’s settled then, huh? I guess we’re goin’ on a journey! Let’s get our crew back together!” He stated excitedly, raising his glass upwards. But, no one met with it. That didn’t break his pride, but he decided to knock his glass against Maki’s anyway.

“Right... Well, I’ll give you more information once I have it. I have planning to do, so, I’ll see you later.” Shuichi stated with a small nod. He then left the bar, leaving Maki to fend for herself with the overly enthusiastic, and slightly tipsy Kaito.

 

After being sure Shuichi was gone, Kaito leaned back in his seat lazily, his joy seeming to sink to concern as he met eyes with the red-clad female.

“Be straight with me, Maki. You’re not.. like… gonna hurt him, are you?” Maki looked to him, before shaking her head.

“No, he’ll be fine. It’s my target that has to be worried.”

“Also, I gotta know. If you already work for the Queen, why can’t you tell anyone about your job?”

“Shut up. Someone will hear you.” She looked down blankly at the untouched drink that she had. “You’re not even supposed to know…” Her hands raised to her hair as she stroked it nervously.

“So shut up, unless you want me to kill you.” She continued, glaring towards the male. That male just laughed lightly, not taking her threats seriously at all.

“Yeah, no worries! I won’t. I just had to know. Shuichi’s almost like a brother.” He smiled lightly, his joy even able to relax Maki’s harsher tendencies a bit.

“Good. Then, I’m leaving.”

“What, you don’t want to stay a while?”

“No, I have to get ready.” She paused after standing. There was a moment of awkward silence. “Thanks for the drink.” She finally stated, before turning and exiting the bar only ten minutes after Shuichi had.


	2. The Beginning and The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though I describe them a little bit, these are some inspiration images I found for this story back when I was planning it! I just thought I'd share.
> 
> https://www.zerochan.net/2086289  
> https://www.zerochan.net/2191705
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

With the new information that Shuichi was able to receive from Maki regarding Captain Kokichi Ouma’s location, things moved very quickly. On the day of his coronation as Commodore, Shuichi had plans of taking off. He had nearly forgotten to prep for the actual ceremony, but Kaito was kind enough to remind him on the evening before that he had to attend that. 

The coronation was held early in the morning. It was meant to be quick, but it was feeling incredibly slow to the nervous commodore. Him and his crew were granted brand new uniforms. While they mostly all wore red, Shuichi was given a blue coat that allowed him to stand out as their leader. “Do you need any more help, Commodore Saihara?” Asked a woman about his age, her hands folded before her.

“No, I’m alright… Thank you for your help, Tojo.” He paused, before looking to her. “Would it… be alright if I had a moment alone?” She seemed to understand, smiling lightly towards the other. The maid would give Shuichi a small nod, before heading out without another word. The blue, black, and gold uniform was tailored right to his fit. He smiled lightly to himself when he saw his new look in the mirror. For a moment, he felt more alone than ever. Sure, he had Kaito. But after his parents abandoned him to pursue passions for the theater, his uncle was all he had. And, now he was gone. Shuichi’s fingers would slowly trace down the blue of his coat, thinking hard about what his uncle might say if he were here. His eyes closed. He tried hard to imagine what it’d be like if the great Commodore Saiji Saihara truly was here to witness this moment with him.

“That looks really good on you! I think the color brings out your eyes.” 

It was a girl’s voice. He wasn’t too familiar with it, so he was quick to turn in response. When his eyes met with the voice, he saw that same comforting beauty from a week ago. Princess Kaede. Shuichi was at a loss for words. He nervously started to stammer, trying to figure out what to do, before he finally realized he should be bowing. She was royalty, after all. Shuichi would lower his torso, giving Kaede the respect she deserved.

“Oh geez…” She started, waving a hand nervously.

“Please don’t do that, I’m kinda tired of the Princess stuff. Straighten your back, please…” Her sweet tone turned to nervous at Shuichi’s actions. This just caused him to get more embarrassed, a light pink hue forming on his cheeks. He tried to hide it by turning his head without being disrespectful. Again, his attitude would make the female chuckle as she got even farther into the room, and to Shuichi’s dismay, closer to him.

“I’m sorry.” He finally said, trying to make eye contact temporarily. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…” The future commodore stated. His fingers moved up to his hat, lowering it a bit. It looked very stupid in that position, but he’d much rather look stupid with a hat position than be embarrassed by letting her see his red face.

“No, no, don’t apologize. It’s my fault. Just, call me Kaede! I know it’s informal in all, but, I don’t get that often. And… You’re Shuichi, right? Can I call you that?” Her head tilted a bit as she asked this. She spoke gently, but for a moment Shuichi felt as if they were old friends. He nodded coyly, hoping that would be enough. When she didn’t keep talking, he answered verbally from behind his hat.

 

“Yeah, you can call me Shuichi… It’s better, anyway. My uncle was Commodore Saihara, it might get confusing if you called me that..” He let out a low, nervous laugh. He was looking so intently at the floor, he hadn’t even noticed how close Kaede had gotten. She lifted the hat from his head, holding it away for just a moment. This left Shuichi with a shocked expression, one that caused Kaede to just smile sweetly. 

“Don’t hide so much. Hiding won’t do you any good. Especially out there.” 

Her words were true, and perhaps they could have hurt because he certainly wasn’t acting like a leader. But the way she said them gave him a smile. His head turned towards the mirror once more. Without the hat, he felt a little less professional, but he also felt less clunky. While he was distracted, the blonde would place the hat back onto his head, but this time, it was placed correctly. It made it so his face was completely visible.

“Thank you.” Shuichi muttered.

“No, thank you.” Kaede said. She noted Shuichi’s surprised expression again and would giggle lightly, before answering. 

“You’re taking this position after your uncle, and you’re going on a voyage right after. You’re definitely very dedicated and passionate! I think you’ll do great things, especially since you’re starting out kinda young.”

And for a second, Shuichi believed her enthusiasm. So this is what it’s like to feel confident. He was opening his mouth to reply, when the bells finally chimed for the ceremony to start. He let out a short ‘thank you’, but that was all he could muster for now. The female would turn to the future commodore, an excited look on her face. 

“It’s time to go! Have fun and do your best! I’ll be cheering you on from the side lines.”

And with those final words said, Kaede rushed out. It took a bit before Shuichi realized he, too, had to move his feet. He quickly began making his way over to the coronation.

 

After receiving his sword and placing it on his side, it was finally time to go. His ship was loaded, his crew was fully equipped. Shuichi went down the line, addressing each of his crew mates and their jobs. He then introduced the new members to each other, Maki being included. Now that he’s seeing her in this setting, her appearance was a bit difference. Before she was wearing a cloak and dress, now she dressed as everyone else on this ship. She didn’t seem to have a liking for that coat, though. Leaving her with just the undershirt and pants. Even Kaito decided to wear the uniform in his own way, removing one of his arms from the coat. That choice of style always confused Shuichi, but he let his friend do what he wanted.

As the ship started taking off into the sea, Shuichi watched as the distance from the land grew farther and farther. He wasn’t leaving anything of importance behind. He didn’t feel any regrets or pains from leaving, just excitement. When Kaito had found him lost in thought like this, he’d pat the shorter male on the shoulder, which was his way of getting Shuichi’s attention.

“Ready, captain?” He stated with a proud grin on his face.

Shuichi hadn’t really let the feeling of being the captain of this ship set in until Kaito’s words slipped out of his mouth. Suddenly his expression just brightened, then switched to fear, then to confidence. He had a lot of emotions he couldn’t yet figure out, but as time went on, he was sure he’d be able to.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

 

The first day of travel went on without much of an issue. In fact, they hadn’t even run into any pirates, which was genuinely surprising to the commodore. Throughout the day, he’d get consistent reassurance from some of his more enthusiastic crew members while Kaito was unable to because he was sleeping. By the time night fell upon them again, Shuichi had found enough time to think up his plans against Captain Ouma.

Once a majority of the crew had headed off to sleep, Shuichi, the now awake Kaito, and Maki remained on the deck. He wasn’t entirely sure how they had gotten there, but just sitting and staring at the stars with Kaito was probably one of Shuichi’s favorite past times.

“Remember that time that one little kid snuck onto our ship?” Kaito chuckled as the two reminisced on the past.

“Uh, yeah.. He had to stay protected the whole trip until we could return him. My uncle was furious. He was a smart kid, though. We never did learn why he wanted to stow away.. But, now we have to be extremely thorough on our checks. It’s.. pretty exhausting, really.”

“But do you really wanna be yelled at the way your uncle was that day?” He laughed in amusement, and Shuichi would chuckle along with him.

The two would go back and forth, and Maki would just sit silently and listen. Their stories varied from crazy adventures to just fond memories. Eventually, Kaito broke the continuous back and forth.

“Hey! Maki, do you have any interesting stories you want to tell?”

“No.” She answered softly, her hand raising to fidget with her long hair. Kaito raised a brow, somewhat starting to understand that little nervous action of hers.

“Come on, I’m sure a pirate expert like you has had to of had some great sea adventures!”

“I haven’t.” She grumbled, but Kaito didn’t seem to get the attitude she was starting to give off.

“Then you don’t gotta tell us a story until your ready. But you definitely have to tell us a story at some point!” 

“Then, uh..” Shuichi started, his eyes looking to the female’s for a moment. Her crimson orbs were just as intimidating as they were on the first day they met. “Why not tell us about why you know so much about pirates? It’d be good to trust you a little bit more.”

The brunette remained silent for a moment. She looked at Shuichi, then to Kaito. Her hands moved from her hair to her sides for a moment as she released that nervous expression. She’d try to ignore the question by looking to the stars, before she let out a large sigh, knowing that she couldn’t lose the captain’s trust.

“Fine.” She paused. Kaito’s face seemed to have lit up, and Shuichi’s gaze turned much more attentive. Maki just looked to their faces, before shaking her head. “You both looks like idiots.” 

This statement only caused Kaito to chuckle a little, but despite it, she’d continue speaking.

“When I was little, pirates killed my parents. I don’t really care about revenge or anything.. So I only researched them. Just in case I wanted to kill them, or if I wanted to understand them. I have a lot of connections. That’s all. It’s nothing exciting.”

Shuichi sighed a bit. Even when she told a story, it was precise and to the point. It wasn’t exactly the answer he was looking for, but for now, he’d take it. He could tell Maki wasn’t telling the full truth, but he couldn’t exactly tell why. She had already helped him this far, he didn’t think there would be any reason to keep secrets.

“I guess we all got a little something in common.” Kaito stated, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. He’d stare to the stars. Though to most it’d look like he was just lounging, in reality, he was already analyzing the stars to assess their location.

“What are you talking about?” Maki asked, a slightly aggressive tone coming off her lips.

“Pirates kinda screwed us all over. And, we’re out here to stop them so no one else feels like that!” 

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, a solemn feeling coming over each person in the group. It was heavy. Each of them could feel it in their hearts when they reflected on the people they had lost in their lives. Kaito couldn’t stand that feeling. So after just a moment, his fist thrusted into the air.

“Yeah, we’re gonna stop them! That’s the job of a hero and his sidekicks!” When he didn’t get the immediate reaction he wanted from the two, Kaito quickly hoisted himself up, wrapping his arms around both of their necks. This pulled them too close for comfort.

From his new position, Shuichi’s face was able to meet with Maki’s. Of all of the times their eyes met, this was the first time Shuichi was seeing a look in Maki’s eyes that was much more gentle. Perhaps if he looked carefully like this more often, he’d learn to read her. And.. after looking for a moment longer, even though it was dark and the only light they had were the stars and the moonlight, he thought, just maybe, he was seeing a hint of pink on the girl’s cheeks. He was likely reading it wrong, but the thought that came to mind was pretty cute.

Kaito’s demeanor was amazing in the way it caused everyone’s mood to relax so quickly. After being under his arms for a few seconds, Maki pulled away with a huff.

“I’m going to sleep.” She stated, immediately walking away after the statement had been made. Kaito merely waved, turning to Shuichi right after she was out of view.

“You should get to bed too, sidekick! You need your sleep! The winds been in our favor, so we’re a lot closer than I thought we’d be.” 

“Really?” Shuichi asked with a hint of hope in his voice. That just meant that things were going well. No pirates and good winds? There was no way it could get better than this.

“Yeah! we’ll be there by the afternoon tomorrow, I’m guessing!” He then shoved Shuichi a bit, pushing him towards his quarters.

“Get to sleep, I, your trusty navigator, will keep us on track!” Kaito grinned wide, while Shuichi merely smiled meekly. He muttered a thank you before turning in for the night.

 

When Shuichi woke up the next morning, things continued to run smoothly. Perhaps he could blame this good luck on his late uncle guiding them. Though the thought was sad, it was also comforting.

By the time afternoon came, Kaito’s estimate was right on the money. The land that they were seeking was nearing, and Shuichi decided to take this time to speak to Maki a bit more.

“We’re, uh, getting pretty close to Jabberwock.”

“Yup.” 

“Why do you think he’d be here?”

“He always comes here. This is his favorite spot. I heard that he likes to watch the ruckus.”

“He sounds pretty sadistic..” 

Thoughts started running through Shuichi’s head. Captain Kokichi Ouma must be quite the formidable foe. He likely was tall, strong and burly, with a face that could strike fear into anyone. And his crew was likely just as terrifying. They probably wore rags and jewelry that were just spoils from their kills, and were covered in scars from all of the dangerous encounters they’d survived through. He shook his head, trying to get those thoughts away. When Maki realized his expression, she finally replied to his words.

“Probably. He’s the pirate I know the least about.”

“Really..?” Shuichi’s voice stammered unintentionally. That must mean he’s so evil, he leaves no one to live, and-

“No, it’s not like what you’re thinking.” Apparently she can read minds too. “I have more information on him than any one else… But that’s the problem. The information I have doesn’t make sense.”

Upon seeing Shuichi’s confused expression, she continued, her eyes looking towards the nearing island.

“I have information saying he’s been caught multiple times over, and information saying no man could ever lay a hand on him. Some of my information says he’s sunk almost 60 ships, others say he’s hardly managed to escape with his own ship. The only information that’s really certain is that his crew is labeled by checkered fabric and their flag is black with red dice.”

“I wonder why it’s like that.” He stated, raising a hand to his face. He became lost in thought as he tried to expect what was to come, but by the time he’d come out of those thoughts, one of his crew members tapped his shoulder to inform him of how close they were to Jabberwock island.

 

The ship was nearly the docks, but Shuichi demanded the anchor got dropped before they could get too close. He was informed that this was a primary pirate stop, and he didn’t want his ship to get too close to a scene where they could be easily boarded. He left a majority of his crew on board, got onto a small boat and headed off with Maki, Kaito, and two other crew members. Five seemed like the perfect number.

Kaito yawned as everyone else on the boat did the rowing work. He didn’t need too much sleep, but he had only just woken up after getting around four hours of rest. Shuichi sympathized, not making him do too much of the rowing as they headed to shore. But by the time they made it, Kaito was full of the same energy he had before.

“Ah, land! Let’s get some cakes for the crew while we’re here.” He grinned towards his captain, who merely smiled lightly. He shrugged, giving off an expression that meant he was considering it. After, he’d look towards Maki, who already seemed to know exactly where she was going.

The crew members followed closely behind. They wanted to remain mostly inconspicuous as they searched the area, and thus didn’t ask for any assistance from townspeople when searching for the beginning of their adventure. As they walked by the town, Kaito would continue chiming about how this place was well known for their sweets, and he’d continue making suggestions of things they should get, as if this was some casual stroll. It certainly made them seem more like tourists, so Shuichi decided not to complain.

The island was almost like paradise when looking out towards the water. Palm trees stood high, the fruits seemed to be growing in a plentiful manner, the town itself was sectioned off nicely from the forest behind it. If it weren’t for the fact that there was clearly a lot of shady activity going on, Shuichi may have considered this place perfect. But alas, with prostitutes lining the streets, drunks barely entering their homes, and thieves pressed against walls, he could tell that this place was home to various scoundrels.

As Maki walked, she was lining the sea, clearly looking for something. Eventually, she came upon a pirate ship that seemed to be trying to hide behind the lush of the land. When she found it, she merely pointed and muttered ‘look’. Shuichi moved closer, examining the ship. It had a flag with red dice flying high. This caused Shuichi to grumble, Maki’s intel was correct. Red on a pirate flag meant that they didn’t leave anyone alive. There was no way this ship wasn’t the end of Saiji Saihara. His teeth gritted at the thought, before he turned to Kaito, barking orders almost immediately.

“We’ll watch the ship. The moment it leaves the harbor, we’re taking it down.”

Kaito gave a nod, but when he noticed Shuichi’s blank expression, confusion came over him. He turned to see just what Shuichi was looking at behind him, and when he noticed, his expression sunk a bit as well.

The two crew members they had taken with them were on the ground. There was no blood, and they didn’t seem to be dead. But their sudden collapse to the floor was confusing. It didn’t make sense. Until Maki finally said the word.

“Ambush.” 

With that, light laughter could be heard. It was young, but menacing. Shuichi immediately drew his sword, as did Kaito. Maki, however, pulled out a gun. One that Shuichi knew for fact wasn’t approved for their journey. With their weapons at the ready, they looked to the young voice.

Before them stood a man that had a small stature that nearly resembled a child. He couldn’t be any taller than five feet. His hair was purple, but sat wild underneath his pearly white hat that had a long, fluffy, purple feather falling out of it. He bore jewelry on his ears, fingers, and neck, all of which were clearly be stolen goods. His outfit was completely white, and was amazingly clean despite it. That childish look wasn't helped when Shuichi noticed the enemy was wearing shorts as opposed to protective pants. But the mark that Shuichi noticed immediately was the checkered print that was on the inside of this boy’s cloak. This couldn’t be the captain that killed his uncle. He didn’t look too frightening. But, he could only say that temporarily, because the moment he looked into the boy’s eyes, all he saw was a dark expression that couldn’t match any pirate he had met before.

“Captain Kokichi Ouma…?” Shuichi asked hesitantly. The more he stared into those dark, purple eyes, the more he started to lose confidence.

“Did you hear that, guys?” The pirate asked. “He knows my name!” The shorter male laughed, a continuous murmur of laughter surrounded the group, but no faces were seen. The fact that he couldn’t see anyone caused Shuichi to swallow hard. But he didn’t have much time to think, considering right after Kokichi confirmed who he was, a shot was heard.

Maki immediately shot at the pirate captain, but the bullet didn’t hit anything but the ground. The boy was quick- he could probably thank his small stature for that. She tried again, but somehow managed to miss. It was as if this short male was able to assess exactly what she was going to do before she did it. Already, Shuichi could tell that he was incredibly smart and strategic. Which was usually uncommon for pirates.

After a few gunshots, a fear shot through Shuichi. He hadn’t heard a thing from Kaito in a bit. He turned and saw that his comrade was just knocked out like the other two, and knowing that he wasn’t dead gave Shuichi enough courage to fight on.

Shuichi clung tightly to his weapon. First his uncle, and now his best friend had been injured. Without hesitation, Shuichi swung his sword at Kokichi, almost getting into the line of fire from Maki. He figured as her captain, she would stop shooting the moment she realized he was going to take action, but she didn’t.

“Don’t get in my way, Saihara.” Maki stated. She was aiming for the kill, her bullets had only grazed by Ouma’s head each time she missed him. But with Shuichi so close, those bullets nearly hit him as well. 

“Saihara? You mean like commodore Saihara?” Kokichi asked calmly, his sword meeting with Shuichi’s, crossing with equal strength. As Maki reloaded, the two captains were stuck in a battle of strength. Their crossed swords struggling as they pushed back and forth, each person wanting to take the upper hand. While their swords were so close together, the pirate leaned between them, a teasing expression on his face that only inched closer to the commodore’s. His face in dangerously close to the blades.

“Why is that name so familiar?” He asked in a sing-song voice, before jumping back to avoid another one of Maki’s bullets. 

Captain Ouma’s tone only infuriated Shuichi more. He already hated the man, but meeting that cocky, teasing, rude expression, he couldn’t help but want to wipe it right off his face. He’d swing his sword again, until he heard a hard ‘thunk’. It was like wood against very sturdy. Shuichi’s attention was diverted, but only for a split second. He saw a large male hitting Maki upside the head, knocking her out as well. He couldn’t stop to help her or Kaito considering there was a sword fight going on, and instead decided to press on with the fight. 

The two were equally matched in wits and sword skills. Or, so Shuichi felt. Their swords would clash continuously, almost getting close to the other’s flesh but never truly hitting it. The longer they fought, the more exhausting it became. But the pirate didn’t seem to be wavering. In fact, he was just smiling, as if this was some fun game. That smile was so frustrating, he almost lost his temper for the first time in his life. He was putting too much emotion into this battle, and it caused him to slip up.

All it took was one wrong step. He left himself open, and the moment he did, the pirate captain kicked him behind the knee, knocked the sword from his hand, and pushed him to his knees. When Shuichi was defenseless and on the ground, Kokichi whistled. It sounded like his crew was starting to hustle out of their hiding spots. He could feel pressure against his back, pressure that resembled a foot. He hadn’t expected to lose so soon. This has to be where he dies, and where he’d be able to join his uncle in heaven. He didn’t want to accept that, he couldn’t. In a last ditch effort, Shuichi started pushing up against the ground, but the foot against his back just pressed harder, forcing him to fall flat to the floor.

His head lifted uncomfortably. He looked up to Kokichi, who kneeled down to get closer so that their eyes could meet. 

“This has been fun, commodore.” He stated with the most playful smile Shuichi had ever seen from a pirate.

“I wouldn’t…” He had to take in a deep breath. “I wouldn’t call this fun, you bastard…” 

Kokichi chuckled, raising Shuichi’s hat from his head and tossing it to the side. His small hand then starting running through Shuichi’s soft, dark locks, before he suddenly gripped it tightly. He pulled Shuichi’s head up higher to a position that was beyond uncomfortable and was borderline painful. The commodore gasped in pain, his eyes now being forced to meet with a face he’d never forget.

There were some things you’d like to just see in your nightmares. Because at least then you could convince yourself that those images weren’t real. But when Shuichi’s eyes met with the darkest smile he’d ever seen, with eyes that were black and twisted, he had hoped this was just a nightmare he could wake up from. He didn’t want this to be the last sight he’d ever see, because it was truly terrifying.

“Night night, Commodore.” Captain Ouma stated in a playful, but evil tone.

“Night nigh-?” Before Shuichi could finish his question, Ouma released the boy’s hair, and after hearing one last ‘thunk’, all Shuichi could see was darkness.


	3. Liars.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shuichi finds himself on the ship of the pirate he hates the most; Captain Kokichi Ouma.

Darkness. Shuichi couldn’t see anything but a horrifying black aura surrounding him. All he could feel was the cold that came with what felt like a bottomless pit he was continuously falling into. His body just felt so heavy, lifting it felt impossible. So, for a moment he decided to just rest and feel the coldness of this void. For a moment he could reflect on his life. He was given the position of commodore and left immediately to seek out his revenge because of a mysterious girl he hadn’t fully trusted gave him information. Ok, sure, that may not have been the best decision. But Princess Kaede said it made him seem like he was passionate. If only she could see him in his final moments.

Ah, right. Shuichi had to remind himself that he had seen his life flash before his eyes. This void must be him descending into hell for following a path of vengeance. Was Kaito dead? His other crew members? Or, maybe even Maki? He had so many questions he knew wouldn't be answered now that he was dead.

…He was dead, right…?

Hell smelt awfully similar to salt water, and had the playful sound of a baroque guitar not too far away. After a moment, he tried to feel around for his body, attempting to lift himself out of this dark abyss. Shuichi’s finger twitched. Yeah, that was still there. That meant he was still very much alive. He just needed to reconnect with his body for a moment. He focused hard on the muscles in his face. Surely enough, the feeling came back, and his eyes started to flutter open. He could feel himself laying against hard wood, and with his eyes finally coming into focus, he notices metal bars all around him. 

Great. Captured. Shuichi would let in a deep breath, feeling the pain sting at his head. As he tried to lift it, his whole cranium began to ache. He sat up completely and rubbed his head, eyes looking towards the floor. Once his vision was cleared, he’d notice a small napkin and a note written in what was quite possibly some of the worst handwriting he’d ever seen. At the very least, it was legible. He lifted the paper into his finger tips, bringing it close for him to focus on.

_Welcome to the Dice of the sea! Have a snack and join us on deck!_

He’d look at the area where he picked up the napkin, and there sat a snack that was a golden yellow. He’d take a moment to examine it, bringing it close to his nose to sniff. It smelt something like honey. Being as hungry as he was, he didn’t think much of it when he pressed his tongue to the sweet treat. It may have been too sweet for his liking, but he still decided to eat it, ingesting the sweets while trying to avoid their touch to his tongue.

With a little bit of something in his stomach, even though it wasn’t really anything at all, he managed to lift himself to his feet by pulling at the bars. ‘Join us on deck’ it said. How can he do that when he’s caged in like an animal?

Ah, nevermind. After tilting his head, he’d notice the door was wide open for him. That was pretty unsafe to have a prisoner in an open cell. This pirate captain must be a lot more cocky than the commodore originally anticipated.

After enough contemplation, Shuichi decided to obey. Perhaps he’d get out of this alive if he complied with the wishes of the captain. Very slowly, he’d start to creep his way outside of the small space. His eyes scanned for weapons he could use, but, nothing. He didn’t even have his own weaponry. His feet instinctively followed that guitar sound, eventually he made his way up the stairs and pushed open a door that opened into the light.

His eyes squinted again as they adjusted to the sun. When his eyes managed to see what was around him, all he saw was a group of people that seemed beyond happy to be alive. They were all dancing, messing around as a boy with somewhat flat hair sat and strummed. Was this what it was like on pirate ships? Did people just play and have a good time a lot? That appeal made sense, but he still couldn’t fathom living such a carefree life without any care for the other lives around them. Like with his uncle. But right now, he was far to distracted by the sight before him to think about the rage he had from before. 

Next thing he knew, his arm was being grabbed. Not in a rough way, but in a playful way. Still, he couldn’t pull away. The crew members were forcing him into their dance. Shuichi examined the person pulling him along as he stumbled with their dance moves. It was a girl with brunette pigtails. Her face was happy and optimistic, as if they were long time friends and she wasn’t afraid of touching his arm like this. But, suddenly she’d let go, causing Shuichi to be flung into the arms of someone else. A male, face suave yet optimistic with hair that stood higher than Kaito’s gripped at both Shuichi’s hands. And, though he tried to pull away, his strength just wasn’t good enough. He felt like a rag doll, especially when his hands were taken by a tall, burly man with an afro. This man spun Shuichi a few times. Those honey treats were starting to get a little uncomfortable with all of this moving, and he couldn’t even fight back with how woozy he was feeling. When the tall man let go of Shuichi’s hand after he’d been spun so many times, he ended up trying to walk away, before falling to his knees right in front of a pair of familiar shoes. 

“Having fun?” He heard a condescending tone ask him. That same playful voice from before. Shuichi had already grown to hate it. He looked up as the dizziness started to leave him. He could really get a good look at those gentle features that sat on Captain Ouma’s face. He almost seemed like a kid. 

_How old was he?_ He asked himself, but for now, decided to just listen. Ouma held an apple out to Shuichi. Because of his hunger, he had to accept it. He held it protectively in his hands, but still gave Kokichi a confused expression. He wasn’t at all being aggressive.

“You look sick, commodore! If you throw up, be sure to do it over the boat. I don’t want my floors to get dirty.”

“I won’t throw up.” He immediately responded in a cold matter. The pirate captain before him raised a brow, but still seemed to grin at the other’s response. He was pretty proud of something that didn’t fully click in the commodore’s head. He’d take a bite of his apple, realizing how desperately he needed it. He heard Captain Ouma snap twice and suddenly a mug of fresh water was in front of Shuichi. He could not even begin to fathom what was going on. He wanted to know why he wasn’t killed right away.

“That’s better! Now you’re starting to look like the pinnacle of health. Buuuut, that’s a lie! You look like crap. Did you even eat on your own ship? You’re super skinny.” The captain’s words didn’t hurt Shuichi… Ouma was pretty skinny too. But before Shuichi could even get his words of rebuttal out, the other was already speaking.

“Sooo, while you’re on this boat, you’ll be treated well as long as you do all of the cleaning jobs that we give you. That’s specifically focused on our kitchens. We can’t have anyone getting sick, after all!” 

Ouma decided not to waste any time with telling Shuichi how things were going to happen on this ship. There was a visible expression of confusion on the commodore’s face before the captain continued speaking. The captain went on and on about everything that needed to be done. It was as if Shuichi were a cabin boy all over again. Part of him zoned out the words after he’d gotten too lost on the situation. He wouldn’t even notice all of the shipmates surrounding him as he stayed there on his knees. Eventually, his words would interrupt Ouma. He needed to get back on track with what was going on. His words almost spit out, terrified for the answer he was going to receive.

“You’re not going to kill me?”

The captain’s face merely moved to an expression of amusement. His head would tilt, and his whole body would follow that tilt. Ouma’s face contorted to a smile that was beyond frightening. Shuichi’s face retracted as he wanted to remain far away from that petrifying face.

“I could. Is that what you want me to do?”

The back of Shuichi’s mind was screaming yes just to get all of this over with.

###### 

Kaito paced the ship continuously as it started to leave the shore in its pursuit of Commodore Shuichi Saihara. Maki simply watched him pace back and forth, her expressionless face remaining still until he started to get far too annoying.

“Stop. You’re going to tire yourself out.” 

Her crimson eyes remained locked on the spiky haired male’s. Maki always thought his optimism was annoying, but it turns out that his moping was the worse of the two. Every time she looked to him, he’d seemed like he’d been trying hard not to cry. It was pathetic to watch. She’d stand from the spot she had been sitting on and moved to grab the surveyor’s face. Her hands would grip tightly onto his cheeks. 

“I said stop.” 

She repeated herself, Kaito’s face immediately met with hers as he tried to give a little smile. Maki was always straight forward, it was cute to see her act this way. But before he could respond with a friendly expression, his concerns for Shuichi over came him once again. He’d place a hand on Maki’s shoulder, his head drooping to look to the floor.

“I’m just so worried about him! Shuichi can take care of himself, I’m sure of it! But that flag was red, Maki! He could already be dead. That DICE crew… you said it yourself, they’re unpredictable…“ 

“No, I said there was no knowledge on them. Every story that comes up about them changes.” The brunette gripped tightly at Kaito’s hand until he retracted from the sting of pain. When he raised his head to meet with her face, he could just see her displeasured expression. Maki was not at all happy with the way Kaito was acting, and she definitely wasn’t the person to beat some sense into him. Her voice sounded somewhat forced, but in order to get to the pirate Captain and Shuichi, she had to get the navigator to pull himself together.

“You look stupid. Get your act together and let’s make a plan. I heard that Captain Iruma was on the hunt for Captain Ouma. I know where Iruma was a few days ago, I’m more than certain I can find out where she is from there.”

Almost immediately, Kaito’s face brightened up. Perhaps those were all of the words he needed to feel inspired. His whole body would raise, and he’d wrap Maki in for a tight hug. The female’s face would turn a light shade of pink until he let go. Then she’d move to play with her hair in order to hide the embarrassed look on her face. Even so, her eyes still managed to follow the hyped up Kaito as he moved to the front of the ship.

“You’re right, Maki Roll! How couldn’t I have seen it before?!”“Maki Roll-?”

“A hero never leaves his sidekick hanging! The hero always has to be the one strong enough to carry them both! Maki, you use your knowledge to take us in the right direction. And I’ll use my knowledge to get us there! Shuichi will survive until we get there. No doubt about it! My sidekick can’t die without me telling him it’s ok!”  
“I don’t think he has a choice in that.”

“Besides! Shuichi is the commodore. Some smelly old pirates can’t put him down. We’ll find him, sweep him away, and get out of there, scratch free!”Kaito’s optimism was admittedly annoying, but, respectable. All Maki could do was mumble about how much of an idiot he was, even if inside she could tell she quite enjoyed it. She didn’t understand it. Maybe after all these years, it’s exactly what she needed in her life. Maki felt more inclined the follow Momota than she ever did Shuichi. He just radiated leadership. Even if he’d be sleeping while she was working, it was nice to be around him during times like this.

###### 

Shuichi didn’t know how much grime could be found in a single pot until he found himself scrubbing one down. He almost gagged at the amount of grime that was lifting off of the the metal surface and landing into the waste pile before him. He wasn’t going to die, that was a relief. Not that he understood the motives behind the pirates. He was starting to quickly realize that he didn’t understand any of them. The captain especially. The way he held himself and the way he talked simply didn’t match up. It left the commodore with some questions he needed answered. Perhaps he could try to become goodie goodie with some of the crew. The person currently supervising him was a large, circular man with a face that seemed to always hold a rested smile. He seemed to be very involved in the meal he was making for the crew. Luckily, that meal didn’t require this messed up pot. 

“Hey, uh! How did you come to joining this crew?”

“. . .” No answer.

“Do you like being the chef here?” 

“. . .” 

“Wh-What’s… your favorite dish?”

“. . .”

“Y.. Your name, maybe…?”After he finished his list of questions, Saihara decided to give up entirely. This guy didn’t seem to respond to anything. The worst part was that he knew he was heard. Each time he asked a question, the man would look at him with those weird eyes that seemed to be staring right through you, before he’d return to what he was doing. Perhaps this wasn’t the best crew member to get along with first. 

With the pot finished, he’d lift it and place it to the side. He wiped off his pants and went over to the chef, a nervous expression on his face as he did so. Shuichi was about to talk, but before he could, a fork of food was shoved into his mouth. It was a cooked fish. It tasted fresh, but well cooked to say the least. Actually, the seasoning on it was pretty fantastic. The commodore’s eyes widened in a way that showed his pleasure.

“That’s… Wow. Is that for the crew?” The man nodded, then pointed to Shuichi. At first he wasn’t exactly sure what he was trying to say, but eventually he was shocked when he realized what it meant. 

“For me, too…? But, I’m a prisoner here.” The man didn’t answer, he simply when back to making his dish. He’d shoo Shuichi along, wanting him to continue working until it was time for food. Thus far, he’d scrubbed a pot, tended to some chickens and cows that were on board, and swabbed the entire deck. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was being so compliant, but he needed to start looking for exit routes as soon as he could. Occasionally his eyes would peer over to the escape boat. If only no one was watching him. But it seemed every time his eyes turned, he had a babysitter. It was uncomfortable, but they really seemed adamant on making sure he didn’t run away. Captain Ouma never really answered why he wasn’t dead yet. He wanted to know why, but perhaps it was better to just survive. 

After a while, Shuichi needed to sit. He’d lean back against one of the boxes that was filled with who-knows-what and wiped his forehead. It was scorching out here and he was starting to feel dehydrated. It was then that a friendly looking female with those familiar brunette pigtails stood beside him. This girl danced with him earlier. Her face beamed nothing but happiness constantly. He didn’t trust it, but, he had to try making friends. She’d hold out a canteen and a flask, giving Shuichi his options.

“Water? Or rum?” 

She asked with a sweet chuckle. Shuichi was quick to grab the water. That was much better for him now. While he wouldn’t mind numbing out all of his concerns, doing it on a dangerous pirate ship likely wasn’t the place.

“What’s… your name?”

He asked again, hoping this one wouldn’t ignore her. He tried to start off simply with hopes that maybe he’d just started off too strong with the last guy… Or, maybe he just didn’t talk. Either way, the last thing Shuichi wanted was to be without talking to people. Even if people made him anxious, he had to try something to keep his human interaction up.

“Noriko!” 

She answered simply, that bright smile not wavering as her friendly tone rang from her voice. Shiuchi felt somewhat accomplished. He was just glad they weren’t all ignoring him. That would certainly be some kind of torture. 

“Did you get a glimpse at what chef was making downstairs? Did ya~?”

Before he could even respond with another question, it seemed this Noriko had questions of her own. This was typically how conversations worked, so to avoid being rude, Shuichi decided to quietly answer anyway.

“Uh.. I’m not sure. It had fish in it, though…”

“Gasp! Salmagundi, I bet~! That’s my favorite! Daiki caught some fish today so I bet that’s gotta be it! It can’t be much longer now.”

The girl seemed to ramble on forever regarding this meal that she loved so much. Though, Shuichi felt it was a little cruel. He figured he wasn’t going to be eating with them, if at all. Even if so far they’d already given him treats and fruit. A whole meal just seemed like far more than he deserved as a prisoner. 

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, a bell rang. By the beam of joy on Noriko’s face, Shuichi could tell that was a sign for dinner as opposed to danger. Before he could react, Noriko was tugging him along below deck to where the eating quarters seemed to be. He was admittedly surprised that the girl was so openly accepting him as if he were one of their crew. He’d be cautious and remain skeptical, even as he was placed at the head of the table and food was set down before him. Still, seeing all of these happy faces coming together gave Shuichi a sense of comfort that caused him to forget about his issues for just a moment. He was also incredibly hungry. Without much thought, he’d listen to the banter going between the shipmates and silently ate. They were like a family. They didn’t seem like pirates at all. Just.. misfits trying to make their mark on the world.

Well, they definitely made an impression on it with their attitudes towards life, that’s for sure. But Saihara’s thought process was broken when the captain came in. He originally expected everyone to stand and wait while he grabbed his food. But this man took a seat at the other end of the table. He was served, and got situated to eat with the rest of the crew. This was certainly odd.

“Soooo, how’s your first day been?” 

The captain asked in his chipper tone, leaning back a bit as he stuck a fork into his food. One of his shipmates handed him something. It looked like sugar. This young captain started pouring it on before mixing it into his salmagundi. Shuichi was mesmerized by the sheer amount, he nearly forgot to respond. 

“You’re not going to kill me.”

“Mhm.” He answered with his mouth full.

“You’re not trying to keep me locked up.” 

The room suddenly became uncomfortably quiet.

“Nope! It’s really rude to ignore people’s questions, y’know.”

“What’s my purpose here? Why did you take me? The queen won’t accept me as ransom.”

“If I wanted ransom, I would’ve taken the Princess. That would’ve been no biggie at all! Niishishi!” 

Shuichi felt that aggression building up in him again. This captain, this boy, this fool, not only killed his uncle but also had the audacity to keep Shuichi prisoner. And even after all of that, he even undermined the kingdom’s strength by saying he could easily steal the princess. The commodore had to stop eating. His fingers scrunched together, balling into fists. He could tell the wood was scraping at his knuckles, but he couldn’t even feel it. He suddenly stood, his voice raising in aggression.

“Then what is it? What do you want from me?! I’m not of any worth to you!” 

There was a long silence as the cocky pirate took his time to take a few bites of his meal before answering. Those few seconds allowed Shuichi to calm down a bit and think rationally. Perhaps it was best not to yell at a pirate captain. He sat down, but as he did so, Kokichi stood to his feet.

“You’re right~! I don’t want your money or your life. I want your heart.”

_This is a joke._

“There are some things impossible for us pirates to steal, and I want only the most difficult of items to get!”

_This is definitely a joke!_

“And that means Commodore Saihara’s heart! We’ll have lots of fun together on these seas, ok~?”

_There’s no way this guy is for real!_

“Now, if that answers your question, I’m going to keep eating.”

With that, Ouma sat down and started stuffing his face. Shuichi wasn’t satisfied. Since there’s no way that answer was real, his chest only boiled more with rage and now confusion. There was a little bit of a flustered expression to him, but that was simply because of the initial surprise. If he had that large hat, he’d definitely be hiding behind it.  
“That’s not the reason. Are you collecting? You killed my uncle. Am I your next trophy?” 

Shuichi kept his eyes locked on the pirate in front of him. Everyone on the edge of the table looked to Shuichi before bringing their attention to Kokichi. For once, the leader seemed expressionless. He must not have had a response to such a statement at first. But that playful and cocky grin returned and he leaned back in his seat. He simply shrugged at Shuichi.

“That’s a pretty crappy reason I’d run out after you. That’s a super boring collection. Besides! I have no idea who your uncle is, commodore.” 

“You’re lying.”

“Probably! Is that the truth you want to believe? I could tell you I killed him in some sort of brutal way or something. How I did it will change every time you ask, though.”

The captain lowered his head. His hat and hair made it so the only thing Shuichi could see was that evil and mischievous grin. But the intuitive male was starting to understand. He leaned back in his chair, a hand covering his mouth as he started thinking. The red flag, yet he wasn’t dead. The stealing of the heart instead of a straight answer. The lack of knowledge on this crew. Shuichi could see the truth. His head lifted from his hand in a slight shock.

“You’re… liars. All of you are just liars. You start rumors about yourselves and let them spread like wildfire.”Half of the table started laughing at Shuichi’s remark. Was he wrong? His face tinted a light red of embarrassment. 

“You’re the first one to figure that out!” One of the younger boys stated through his laughter.

“People will believe anything out here, hun. Everyone’s afraid of us but we’ve—“  
The busty woman that was speaking was silenced by a simple click of the captain’s tongue. Perhaps he wasn’t everything the stories brought him out to be, but at the very least, he was still terrifying. Even to his crew. Shuichi felt his hands return to the table as a slight fear came over him when the captain started talking.

“Don’t misunderstand, Saihara. We’ve sunken various ships. Ever hear of Captain Angie and the Atua?”

“Yes, but not in a while…”

“We’re the reason why. You shouldn’t underestimate how dangerous we are because we started a couple of rumors about silly information and the people took it and made their own. Lies aren’t so bad. And, trust me! Since you’re stuck with us for the rest of your life, you’ll learn to love them. You’re my property now, Commodore. So get ready to lie, lie, lie~!”

The captain’s voice sounded so forced. Something wasn’t adding up. But with that all said, Captain Ouma grabbed his food and left to eat in his headquarters. Shuichi swallowed at the idea of staying there forever. He may have figured out the truth, but he had a feeling he had a long ways to go before anything got better. He hoped to be saved, really. But even he didn’t know where he was right now.

Still… With the time he had stuck here, he wanted to learn about this crew and Captain Ouma. There was something intriguing about him. But he figured it would take a lot before he got on that man’s good side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for taking so long to get this continued. I've been super busy with school, but hopefully I'll be able to continue writing without issue! That real drama is going to start next chapter, so I hope you're enjoying it so far!


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